Improvement in rotary engines



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1863.

' s. s. ME.GAY.

ROTARY ENGINE,

ffy Mr,

. w @Ma/M @'MJM UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE..

- SOLOMON s. MEcAY, OF KILBOURNE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To SPENCER MEOAY, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part ot Lettersl Patent No. 37,84l. dated March 3,1863.

lar heads detached. Fig. 2 is a full end view showing one of the heads of the drum detached, exposing the interior construction or arrangement of parts. Fig. 3 is a side view of the periphery ofthe drum with the shaft or axle thereof'.

My improvements relate more especially to the construction and arrangement of the drum or propelling-cylinder, also to the stea-m eduction channels and exhaust-outlets of rotary engines and the nature of said improvements consists in so increasing the internal area of the steanrdrum as to produce a greater capac ity for an accumulating volume of steam, and, furthermore, so forming and arranging the education-channels and exhaust-outlets in such a manner, remote and disconnected from the ports, as to receive a greater pressure thereagainst by compression, vet diminishing the surface ot' friction, resulting in an increased energy or power ot' the engine.

The construction ot' my improvements is shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, the letters of reference A A-A marking the shaft or axle, which is tubular or hollow, from lA up to a short distance beyond the ports or steam-vents B B,

the other'portion of the axle being solid. Said shaft or axle is aftixed permanently through the heads or circular plates C G, which, are attached permanently to the four segmental rims, D D D D, which haveone of their ends turned over or bent backwardly iu form of a hook, as at E E E E, Figs. 1, 2, and when' arranged in their rela-tive position to the headplates C G their hooked ends are situated be'- neath each others curved end. The circle which each segment would describe if continued would he eccentric to the circle described by the circumferenceof the drum C C O C, Fig. 2, and thus situated the hooked ends E E E'AE ofthe rims D D D D tendsaid ends inwardly toward the center and axle of the drum, and thereby admit'of suitable recesses or short eduction-channels, F F F F, terminating in exhaust issues or outlets Gr G G G, Figs. 1,2. By this form of construction the 'exhaust issues or .outletscanrbe enlarged to any desired capacity, so as to pass oli' a greater column ofthe accumulating volume of steam in the chamber I I I I, thereby affording au increased reactive power.

In Fig. 3 my rotary engine is .represented in a horizontalpositionon its shaft or axle A A A', which shaft or axle may be mounted and arranged in suitable bearings .and standinduction-pipe employed connecting with any required steam-generating apparatus, the shalt A A A' 'being provided with a bandpulley, H, or, if desired, a crank attachment may be employed to transmit motion to machinery as'required.

To understand fully the advantages of my motors in use it will be found that they are generally formed of radial tubular channels, or ot' curved hollow eduction-passages, commencing immediately at the junction of the port-inlets, andftherefrom continuing outwardly -direct toward the circumference of the drum or cylinder of .the engine. In 'all such forms ot' construction the volume of steam passing through the ports of the induction pipe is separated into several small distinct volumes or currents, which actronlywithin and on the surfaces of said radial tubular channels. Thus the power of steam will diminish in proportion to the extended surfaces of friction presented; and, furthermore, as the steam passes so directly out from the ports through the exits or exhaust-outlets, no accumulating volume of steam can he aiiorded. But after my plan `ot' constructing rotary motors it will be perceived that, owing to the increased capacity or internal area of surfaces,

afforded by dispensing with the radial chan-l nels, a very greatdiminution of friction and its coun teractiu g resistance are overcome. and,

./consequently, a very greatly increased volume of power .is immediately brought into action,

and, as the volume of steam entering thgongh ards as may be required for its working, the

4improvements by an examination ofthe various we1l-known rotary engines and other the ports B VB rushes ofr" toward the segmental rims D D D D, that portion of the steam passy ing into the channelsF F F F is greatly compressed; and must necessarily force out whole circumference of the drum or cylinder, and, as 1t were, the inclosed volume of accumulating 'steam in the chamber I I I vI converting itself'into an encompassing continuous leverage power, the axis of the shaft A A being the fulcrum of power, and thus, ac-

cording to the ratio of the continuously-supplying volume of steam over the quantity discharging, so is the ratio of outwardly=acting pressure.' vHence, ,it is maintained that by diminishing the surfaces of friction and by concentrating the pressure of the accumulating volume of i steam upon the small outgoing columns through the channels F F F F there must necessarily be developed a greatly-accelerated power from a given amount of steam thanif the same amount of steam were applied by the other mentioned modes of construction.

.The operation of my improvementsv is brought about by introducing through the induction-pipe or hollow shaft A the necess try flow of steam, which, forcing through the ports 'B B, will iill the chamber or area I I I I ofvthe drum O l(l C O, Figs. l and 2, and

therein accumulating in volume will rush toward the `circumference of the drm,.accumu. lating within the short channels orrecess'es F F F F, and there, becoming .very greatly compressed, will force outwardly through the issues or exhaust-outlets G G GG ,in a tangential direction relative to the circumference of the drum and the lineofmotion thereotly Thus it will be readily-perceived that the short channels or recesses vF F FF present but a very limited surface of friction, where: as, if the long continuous radial or curved .eduction-channels were employed and the ineach long channel asY it would be in the short channels and this fact can very readily` be demonstrated by a simple practical calculation, thereby fully proving the advantages and utility of my improvements over all others referred to. A

The flow of steam and the yforce thereof may be readily regulated by a sliding or revolvingzsleeve situated within the hollow shaft, or by any other suitable valve-arrangement, and, though not represented0 in the accompanying drawings, bymaking thc drum or propelling-cylinder C Ov O OD D, Fig. 3, double or -with two sets of segmental rims, and reversing the arrangement of one set by tn rningethe convex or hooked ends E E E E Ain :opposite directions, a reversing motionl having hollow, radial, yand extended curved varms or eduction-channels, and being well aware that such last-named forms of construction have long been known and-used, therefore suchformsy ot construction I do hot claim v4; butf What I do claim as ofmyowninvention, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is

' Constructing thedrum orpropelling-cylin- 4 der of a rotary 'steam or other motor with segmental rims' l)v D 'DD having hooked or bent ends E E vE E, so 4 combined and arranged together as to form short compressingchannels F F .F F and exhaust-outlets GG G G, disconnected and remote from the port-s B B, and whereby is acquiredan enlarged area of capacity and 'an accumMating-chamber, I I I I, thereby affording an increased volume `of steam and also avoiding friction, substantially as set forth, shown, and described. SOLOMON S. -M EOAY. [L. s.]

' `Witnesses: v l WM. WILLIAMS, ALEXANDER'ME'GAY.- 

